Electromagnetic checkerboard



June 14, 1949. .J. M. MOON 2,472,916

ELECTROMAGNETIC CHECKER BOARD Filed Oct. 8, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l 111 L'eutor A tto rneys J. M. MOON ELECTROMAGNETIC CHEGKER BOARD June 14, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001'.. 8, 1945 E W d m u P Inventor z/M 1700A/ A tto rney:

Patented June 14, 1949 UfNil TSED STATES *jFFiiCE y2,472,916 '-EEECTROMAGNETIC CHECKERBOARD' James M. Moon, Graham, N10. Applicatibnictober 8, 194`5, .Serial N o. 320,895

( Cl. :T27 3-#153 6) 3- Claims. .l

.Ifhis present invention` relates :to game. devices :particularly oflthe type on whichizcheckers may -be played andv l the .primary fobject of Vthe yinvenitionlis -.the provisionccf fa= device of J the character `cle'scribedsulcuect to' remote control.

Another object of the .invention is the provif-sion of-'a device of .the class .described in which fthe l checkers are moved vby .electro magnets con- :trlled by switches.

`With "these and fotherzobjects in viewthe 4in- -ventionwresides in lthefnovelty of construction, combination and arrangement of parts '.fspecilcally "hereinafterdescribed and claimed in the appended claims.

The description `sl'iould bereadlin connection with the accompanying drawing .illustrating a "preferred embodiment of nix/.invention and in which- Figurellisatop`- plan view of theA playing table forming part of the preferrednembodiment.of my linvention;

1`Figure-2- is a side View tt-he table;

FigureS is an enlarged longitudinal diametral section of Van electro-magnet and of -thetableon which the magnet: is mounted;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the switch board;

Figure 5 is a side View of the switch board;

Figure 6 is a vertical detail View of a switch;

Figure 7 is a wiring diagram including portions of the game board and switch board;

Figure 8 is a detail section of the coin slot and parts associated therewith and controlling the slot.

In the drawing in which like characters of reference designate like or similar parts, numeral 2 denotes in general a checker table including four legs 3 supporting a box-like upper part. The same comprises a bottom 5, four side walls 6, both of a suitable material, a top plate 'I of aluminum providing on its top surface a recess for a thinner plate 9 of aluminum or glass. The last named plate is divided into sixty-four squares being alternately painted with contrasting colors. The thin plate may be secured to the thicker plate by fasteners I (Fig. 3).

At each point of intersection of the lines bounding the squares and at each center of a light colored square is an electro-magnet generally indicated by I2 and including a copper tube I3 screwed in a cylindrical opening in the thick top plate and surrounded by a solenoid I4 the upper end of which is connected to a binding post I supported by and electrically connected to the table top. The electro-magnet further includes partly. broken away]t of of the@ portion -an-iiron plunger l If'Ij havin'g'a A'beaded lower end -'I-8 l'position by `a coil `25' surrounding Vthe plunger when'curren-tfiiows-- in theeoil".

Coil "supports il which -1-are--aperturedfor the Vplunger and --spring hold'f'the' coil "andpart 28 functions' as aspringfabutment. Ohelwalli-of the ytable-canl observethe coin after -it -is inserte'dfin Lthe slot. After Eretraction for the partition `the coin ffallsy intoeafc'oiwbox (not (shown) feux-'rent flows l in fthe coil 2-5 vwhen the= switch 536- is closed.

switch boarii'generally indicatedl by'Ghas-lthe f'form'fo'f a table"inclidingSlegs-'SI and a top supported'- thereby and comprisingfsidenwalliSZ andfa "top-'plate33 of" aluminum. The' top surface offthis plate is divided into sixty-four squares-endear- 'fries a pluralityrofslenoidswitches 35, kone'i'or eachfsole'noid of 4' thechecker tableand-'also including 4a switch LA'36 controlling P thesolenoid associated with the coin slot.

Each switch except the last mentioned switch is in a location corresponding to the location of one of the solenoids on the checker-board. The switch 36 controlling the coin slot is in a square corresponding to one of the checker-board without a solenoid. Each switch is mounted in an opening 38 the upper portion of which is enlarged for a coil spring 39 surrounding the reduced stem 40 of a switch plunger 4I which also includes a button portion 42 and lower contact portion 43. The spring bears against the lower surface of the button and the bottom of the enlarged part of the opening 38 and raises the contact portion to a position in which the same is above either of two spaced xed contacts 45 secured to the lower surface of the switch-board top. One of these contacts takes the form of a binding post so that a conductor 46 may be connected thereto the other end of which is connected to the lower end of one of the solenoids on the checker-board. The other xed contact of each switch is connected to the table top of the switch-board and thereby to one side 41 of a source of current such as a common Wall connection (Fig. 7).

The other side 48 of the wall connection is electrically connected to the thicker top plate of the checker board.

The circuit controlling the coin slot illustrated in Fig. 8 is connected to the source of current in a manner similar to the manner in which the other electro-magnetic solenoid circuits are connected.

A playing piece or checker 50 of iron or tin is moved from one light-colored square of the board to the other by actuating iirst the switch at the intersection at which the two corresponding squares on the switch-board adjoin and then the switch in the center of the second square is closed.

An ale crown may be used as a checker, but a thin tin disc functions better.

Obviously, the purpose in also having the magnetic unit underlying the intersecting portions of the lines of the playing surface, is so that game piece can be progressively moved from one square to the other. If it were not for these intermediate magnetic units at the intersections, much longer and stronger magnetic units would be necessary.

While I have hereinbefore described the specific details of the preferred embodiment of my invention and illustrated the same in the accompanying drawing, I desire it to be understood that this disclosure is a mere example, not a limitation of my invention and that changes or modipations may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened by the subjoined claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

l. In a game apparatus including a playing surface divided into a plurality of squares, a magnetic unit located under each oi the squares and including a vertically extending coil adapted to be optionally energized and a vertical slidable core movable to a raised position in the coil when the latter is energized to a position immediately under the playing surface for attracting the game piece on the surface to a position over the magnetic unit.

2. In a game apparatus including a playing surface divided into a plurality of squares, a magnetic unit located under each of the squares Number and including a vertically extending coil adapted to be optionally energized and a vertical slidable core movable to a raised position in the coil when the latter is energized to a position immediately under the playing surface for attracting the game piece on the surface to a position over the magnetic unit, each magnetic unit including a tube on which the coil is wound and in which the core is slidable, a board underlying the playing surface and having openings therein underlying the squares, the upper ends of the tubes being snugly disposed and secured within a said opening.

3. In a. game apparatus including a playing surface divided into a plurality of squares, a magnetic unit located under each of the squares and including a vertically extending coil adapted to be optionally energized and a vertical slidable core movable to a raised position in the coil when the latter is energized to a position lmmediately under the playing surface for attracting the game piece on the surface to a position over the magnetic unit, each magnetic unit including a tube on which the coil is wound and in which the core is slidable, a board underlying the playing surface and having openings therein underlying the squares, the upper ends of the tubes being snugly disposed and secured within said opening, and a bottom plate underlying the said magnetic unit, upon which the cores rest when the corresponding coils are deenergized.

JAMES M. MOON.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Nelson July 13, 1909 Jackson Nov. 5, 1912 Brown Nov. 2, 1926 Meade Nov. 15, 1927 Radthe Aug. 27, 1935 Mills Dec. 22, 1936 

